Students Becoming Masters

Alton's turning the table on the finalists in week two with a Mentor Challenge dedicated to teaching a student — Alton himself — two classic recipes. "Each of you will be responsible on just one or maybe two steps of the process," Alton adds.

Onion Snafu

After Lenny successfully instructs Alton on how to clean and blanch green beans, the progress on the green bean casserole recipe is halted when Christopher missteps the onion topping. "We're going to dice them — small dice," Christopher says of his plans for the onions, not realizing that the onions ought to be cut into thin strips or rings for the classic fried layer.

Picking Up the Pieces

"Everyone in the world knows that nobody can cook onion rings with diced onions," proclaims Sarah, who's left to make the next move in the recipe. Because of Christopher's mistake, she's forced to tell Alton, "We're not going to use" the just-diced onions, and he later commends her on what he deems her "organization skills."

Lost Credit

As she's faced with the challenge of recovering a dangerously thin mushroom sauce, Aryen looks to Lenny for help, and he tells her the how-tos of salvaging the dish. But ultimately it's not Lenny who's given credit for the save. "Extraordinarily good decision making. Nicely done," Alton lauds Aryen, much to Lenny's disappointment.

Fill the Space

For Emma, the challenge in instructing Alton how to make chicken-fried steak isn't in communicating the various steps — it's in knowing what to do when there's nothing to teach. Alton reminds her, "Dead air is not your friend," after she lets a few uncomfortable moments of silence fill the kitchen as the meat continues to sizzle.

Boggled Basics

Much like Christopher's earlier struggle with onions, Kenny's approach to the gravy caused jaws to drop on set when he suggested that Alton should whisk cornstarch into a hot liquid. Kenny's cast mates watched in horror as Alton followed his teacher's guide, ultimately causing the gravy to be what Alton called "the extra-chunky version."

Surprise Guest

The educational theme of the week continues into the Star Challenge as the finalists learn they'll tape a 15-minute video explaining how to make a simple dish with everyday ingredients. "As you make the dish, you should be instructive, informative and, of course, entertaining," Bobby reminds the finalists. What he doesn't mention to them is that Iron Chef Alex Guarnaschelli will watch their tapes in real time and attempt to re-create their plates based solely on what they say.

Successful Teaching

Lenny wows Alex with a presentation she finds "very clear" and the mentors with a crab cake offering that forces Bobby to admit, "I'm starting to realize that you're a really good cook." After tasting the dish Alex made with Lenny's how-tos, Alton commends him, "You actually got someone else to make a dish following your instructions that's tasty."

Language Barrier

"You must find a way to slow down and be more succinct with your speech," Alton tells Reuben. And his too-fast presentation makes Alex wonder, "I don't know if a home cook could keep up with this." Unfortunately for Reuben, the situation doesn't improve after tasting, as both Bobby and Giada agree that his scallops have turned out "rubbery."

Tough Lesson

Sarah knows that turkey burgers and mashed potatoes aren't indicative of date night, but she tells herself, "I just have to go with this." Ultimately, however, she learns the hard way that sometimes it's best to abandon a point of view. Alton explains: "So, if you can't find the ingredients that work with your POV, shift."

Face Forward

After Luca completes his video with his head down and only a handful of glances toward the camera, Alex notes, "That's when I had a cooking lesson with Luca's scalp." Giada notes that his dish of seared tuna "needs a little more seasoning," but Bobby tells him something that's likely more fear-inducing: "You didn't really meet the challenge. [If] you can't look at the camera, you can't get this job."

Recognizing an Improvement

"I think I can really pick myself back up with this challenge," Emma says of her plans for this test after her miss in the Mentor Challenge. "Zero dead space." She indeed proves to be "really clear," according to Alex, and Giada notes that Emma's voice sounded "a little monotone at a certain point." Bobby calls her pasta "very good."

Searching for Loreal

Despite Loreal's strong performance last week, she now delivers a lackluster video that Bobby finds "way too laid-back." She explains that her intention is to "speak slowly and clearly," but she may have taken that too far. Alton notes: "It was like the real Loreal wasn't there. We just got kind of this vapor of her." Nevertheless, Giada calls her salad "very pretty" and it's deemed successful.

Positive Reinforcement

"My concern would have only been that I didn't see someone that was having a good time," Giada tells Nicole, who's praised for both her salad and the good-to-know tips she offers. "I did a little bit better than I thought I did, so it's nice to hear that."

Empty Plates

Part show and part cooking lesson, Chris' performance starts out "entertaining," according to Alton, but the fun ends soon when Chris is unable to complete his pork-stuffed wontons within the allotted time. He joins Kenny and Luca in the bottom-three performers this week.

Casting Blame

Although Kenny initially blames the faulty stove for his inability to finish his dish on time, he later accepts responsibility for his poor outcome, explaining, "I really should have gotten that pan on right in the beginning for the fish." Such a declaration is enough to save him from elimination this week, as Alton notes, "That shows a real ability to learn and an ability to grow."

Luca's Loss

"Does he need a little bit more time, and can he bring it?" Giada asks her fellow judge-mentors of Luca during their deliberation. Ultimately, they decide that Luca's inability to both cook and command the camera is enough to send him home, and Alton tells him, "We just don't think you've got the skill set to move with this at this point in time." Looking back on the contest, Luca reflects, "I'm kind of mad at myself because I know that I can be good at this."